In Another Lifetime
by Sailor Elf
Summary: Following the defeat of Hapar, everyone tries to slip back into a normal routine. That idea is soon shattered when new enemies appear on the scene, forcing a few to make big decisions
1. A New Life

Disclaimer – Not Big Guy, Rusty, the Pit crew, Doctor Slate or anyone else dealing with them are mine. (Though I have to say Czarina, Justin and Jennifer are mine along with anyone else unfamiliar.)

Summary – Following the defeat of Hapar, everyone tries to slip back into a normal routine. That idea is soon shattered when new enemies appear on the scene, forcing a few to make big decisions.

00000

In Another Lifetime

The Big Guy gently guided the Legend 1 gently over the city. He glanced down at the buildings below and wondered how the people would react if they knew the truth about anything and everything he had to deal with. Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter had seen many strange things in his service masquerading as the Big Guy but he knew he wasn't quite expecting something like his most recent adventure to knock on his door.

Literally.

He moved the lever that moved the robot's arm to allow the door open and let a familiar figure crawl inside. Without even turning around, Dwayne Hunter knew exactly who it was.

"So you did decide to come, I see. I'm glad," he mused.

"I'd do almost anything for you, Big Guy. After all, you did save my life," Tera replied. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about anyway? It sounded pretty important."

The lieutenant didn't know where to start. He wanted her help but wasn't sure how people would react to a creature with a mind of its own. The circumstances surrounding her appearance had confused many a people.

"Tera, have you heard anything about your presence around town lately?" wondered Big Guy.

"Not as much since Hapar was defeated. I mean, I _was _big news at first since pterodactyls are supposed to be extinct. They seemed to have noticed that I'm now on your side instead of trying to obliterate them," she replied.

Dwayne couldn't help but laugh out loud. The one thing he was relieved about was after Hapar and his crew had left Earth, things had gotten pretty quiet. He sat back in his chair and gave a sigh.

"Tera, we do need you to help scout the city for danger. As much as I hate to admit sometimes, I cannot be everywhere even with Rusty's help," he said.

Tera smiled as she quickly nodded. Gingerly stepping to the console, she carefully watched the giant robot with an observant look. It was as if she knew what was going on.

"Big Guy, what is the real reason you asked me to come all the way out here? You could have asked me that at any time during my visits to the _Dark Horse. _Jo might have been able to ask me that too," she inquired.

Dwayne hesitated for a moment and Tera quickly took notice of this. She climbed onto his shoulder and stared directly into Big Guy's face.

"What is it Lieutenant Hunter?" she demanded.

Dwayne gulped, knowing that he would like to leave the premises as soon as he furthered his questioning.

"Tera, I need to know if there's anything else," he finally said.

"Anything else? To what?" she repeated.

"To you, to me, to Doctor Slate, anybody. I mean, the doctor and I saved your life through a remarkable foreshadowing of events. Was there anything else? A secondary prophecy or something else you might have neglected to mention?" he posed.

Tera gulped at the request. For a split second, her eyes darted away from him and Dwayne thought he noticed the mild terror within her eyes despite her apparent calm demeanour.

"No, there was nothing else. There was only the one prediction," she replied.

Appearing unruffled, she climbed down and quietly laid down beside the robot. Dwayne was slightly confused by the response for it was not at all what he was expecting. He began to move the Legend 1, slightly wondering if there was indeed anything by how she reacted but was too scared to say anything.

'_I wonder if Justin and Jennifer suggested that she not say anything yet, if there really is anything,' _he thought.

00000

Two figures looked at the blue and green planet. They appeared human save for their slightly elongated heads and pale green skin.

"Is this the right one Tane?" one asked.

"I'm positive this time Shzar. He had always considered this planet his crown jewel for conquest. Now that our enemy has been defeated, it leaves room for us to take over the entire sector," the other replied.

The information continued to pour in on their computer through the probe they had dispatched just minutes earlier into Earth's orbit. After several long moments of browsing over the data, Shzar finally turned back to his comrade.

"Pray tell, how are we going to take over this planet when our enemies have failed? You know we will meet resistance from the locals. I've even heard about a robot that protects these people and it won't be easy to find him either," he questioned.

Tane walked over to the window and gazed out over the planet.

"I've heard about that as well. That's why I brought something with us. Little does he know that we know his secret and we will exploit it for our use," Tane explained.

Tane walked over to a console and opened it to reveal a small device. Shzar smiled as he slowly realized what it was for.

00000

Dwayne climbed out of the cockpit and removed his helmet, only to be greeted only by Jo. The blonde had her arms crossed and a smirk was written across her face.

"I don't know why you insisted on doing it this way. You know I could have easily asked her myself," she told him.

"So I've been told but there were things that I personally had to ask her. Things I'd rather be kept private, even from you and the others," Dwayne replied.

"Suuuuure. Not even going to let Doctor Slate know about your little rendezvous?" Jo drawled.

She watched as he climbed down to floor level and make his way down to the nearby console. After a few moments of his fingers running over the keypad, Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter walked out of the hangar completely. The smile on Jo's face completely disappeared and a worried look crossed her features as she watched her friend and boss vanish.

_'What is he up to now?' _she thought.

TBC...


	2. Capture!

Czarina stirred her iced tea with the straw.

She still had no idea what she was doing or even what brought her to this particular restaurant. She silently sat outside, underneath one of the umbrellas, the thoughts of her earlier conversation with the lieutenant was swirling through her mind. She found his questions unnerved her slightly.

'_Justin, Jennifer, will I ever be free of this curse?' _she thought.

She was so engrossed with her thoughts that she failed to notice a familiar figure pass by her.

"Czarina?" came a curious voice.

The singer glanced up to see Doctor Slate standing on the sidewalk beside.

"Doctor, it is so good to see you again!" Czarina said, a smile slipping onto her face.

"Are you okay, Czarina? You seemed - distant for a moment," Slate questioned.

"I'm fine, just thinking about my schedule for the upcoming weeks. It's pretty intense," the singer replied.

Slate returned a smile, trying not showing the worry that she felt. She sat down in the chair next to her before leaning in closer.

"Is there any anxiety remaining from what recently occurred on the _Dark Horse_? I mean, there are people who know your secret now," Slate quietly asked her.

Czarina gave a small laugh as she leaned back into the chair.

"Doctor Slate, you have nothing to worry about. The recent incident you speak of is a blessing in so many ways. I am free of Hapar and I have gained the capability of choosing whether or not I change into a pterodactyl. Not only that, I've made some new friends," Czarina explained.

Before Slate could say anything else, she heard voices behind her calling out Czarina's name. The dark-haired woman grinned as she waved to the people. Slate turned around to find Jo, Garth and Dwayne heading towards them.

"Doctor Slate, isn't this such an unexpected meeting? What brings you out here?" wondered Jo.

"I was passing through. Now that you're here, I'll be on my way," Slate smiled at them.

She climbed out of the chair and began to walk away. Dwayne carefully watched her, his heart slightly jumping into his throat. The quartet watched her leave before the three newcomers turned back to Czarina.

"What was that all about, Czarina?" Jo asked her.

"She was simply asking how I was doing. She didn't realize that I was waiting for you," she replied.

Jo sat down beside her friend. Placing a hand on Czarina's shoulder, the blonde carefully watched the singer as she placed her drink back onto the table.

"Are you all right? I mean, after what you've been through…" Jo trailed off.

"Jo, it's over and I'm fine. You needn't worry over me," Czarina smiled.

00000

Shzar and Tane carefully walked down the Streets of New Tronic City. Using a miniature masking device hidden in their pockets, it gave them the appearance of looking human. Tane watched the readings from the device he held in his hands while Shzar patiently waited for a response. Finally, he could no longer wait.

"So when are we going to find this one? We have already scoured several places in the area of the planet with no luck whatsoever. What makes you think we'll find them here?" Shzar finally wondered,

"Be patient for the readings seem to be a bit stronger in this area. You'll have your chance to take care of him soon enough," Tane replied.

The two continued to walk down the street when they came across a café. Shzar glanced over at four humans sitting at one of the tables. He studied them carefully and noticed that all were different. There were two women, one with blonde hair, the other had darker hair. Then he noticed the two men and one had darker skin than the other.

"They all look so dissimilar," he mused.

Shzar turned his attention back to his comrade to find Tane smiling. He was aiming his device at the quartet that Tane was just studying.

"He's there, at that table. That lighter skinned man, it has to be him," Tane smiled.

Shzar joined in the smiling as the two stepped over to the group. Jo glanced up at them as they walked over and they soon became horrified when one of them forcefully grabbed Dwayne by the throat and lifted him into the air.

"I never thought I'd see you up this close but now you belong to us," Shzar snarled at him.

As they turned off their devices, people began to scream as they tried to get as far away from the scene as possible. Czarina, Jo and Garth jumped to their feet, uncertain how to proceed. The blonde and the brunette jumped forward in order to help the lieutenant but Tane quickly grasped an arm from each of them and began to squeeze, causing each to cry out in pain. The two aliens simply laughed at the cries of the two women and the gasping coming from Dwayne.

"Say good-bye to your precious friend. We know his secret and we will use it against you in order to take over this planet," Tane retorted.

The trio gasped as Jo and Garth slowly realized what was happening.

'_Does every alien now know Dwayne Hunter is the pilot of the Big Guy?'_ they thought to themselves.

Soon enough, Dwayne's struggling slowed before he passed out in the aliens grasp. Tane released the two women before the three disappeared completely. The group quickly glanced at each other as Doctor Slate came running back onto the scene.

"What happened? I heard the commotion," she gasped.

"Lieutenant Hunter's been taken captive by an unknown foe and they somehow know about his connection to the Big Guy," Garth quietly told her. "We should get back to the _Dark Horse_. Formulate a plan on getting him back from there."

The doctor nodded as they hurried over to Jo and Czarina.

00000

General Thorton stared at the group sitting around the table. Inwardly, he was upset at the fact that one of his best men was taken captive.

"So can you tell me anything else about these aliens? How do they do know that Lieutenant Hunter is the pilot of the Big Guy? It's bad enough that Justin, Jennifer and Czarina found out on their own," he demanded to know.

"Unknown. We'd have to get closer to them and ask. Other than what we've already relayed to you, we know nothing about these two," Garth replied.

Czarina held her hands over her mouth, her arm in a matching cast to Jo's. Her eyes were closed and almost to tears. Jo gently rubbed her shoulder, trying to reassure her.

"Everything's going to be fine, Czarina. We're going to get Lieutenant Hunter back and find out how they know his secret," she softly told her friend.

Czarina shook her head as she took a deep breath. Lowering her hands, she finally opened her eyes in order to look at Jo. A smile crossed her face and it seemed almost eerie.

"You don't understand Jo. They don't know Lieutenant Hunter is the pilot of the Big Guy," she finally said.

That caught everyone's attention and the focus was now on the young brunette. Czarina climbed to her feet and carefully walked around the table, catching the eye of each and every one there before finally facing the general. He appeared to be both angry and curious at the same time to her bold statement.

"General, those two aliens were not after Lieutenant Hunter, they were after me," she finally said.

TBC…


	3. Explanations

"They're after you? Why?" demanded Thorton.

Czarina hesitated for a moment, uncertain how she should clarify the things she knew.

"General, the aliens that kidnapped him are from a place called Liaper. I suppose you're wondering how I know this. It's because it's located in the same system as Oleaftar and the two planets have been enemies for as long as they can remember. Liaper has always been competing with Oleaftar for technology and the domination of planets. Since Hapar always considered Earth his prize jewel for conquering, they must thought they now have a chance to take it over themselves with his recent defeat. They must have something to detect my presence, just not me specifically. Otherwise, they _would _have taken me and _not _Lieutenant Hunter," explained Czarina.

She turned to stare at the general, the Pit Crew and Doctor Slate. Placing her hands on the table, she never noticed the two figures arrive behind her.

"Czarina, we got your message and we came as soon as we could. General, we're terribly sorry that Liaperians have to be here and they have the man behind your main line of defence. We should have had an inkling a long time ago that they might come here," Justin told the group.

The doctor climbed to her feet with a question on her lips and the two cats turned in her direction.

"Is there any way to get Lieutenant Hunter back from them?" she wondered.

"Yes, we can get him back. The main problem we obviously face right now have is finding them. There's a chance they've landed their ship somewhere and cloaked it. They could be settled anywhere within New Tronic City or even on its outskirts, we won't know until we find whatever we're looking for. They could be in orbit for all we know. Anywhere it happens to be, we have to find him soon before he should break," Jennifer explained.

"And what exactly can we expect them to do to the lieutenant? What are they going to do when they find out that he's not the one they're looking for?" wondered Garth.

The two cats gave themselves an uneasy look and Czarina couldn't help but turn her stare to the floor.

"They won't believe a word from him or anyone else unless Czarina shows up and transforms into Tera before them. They're extremely stubborn as they don't stop to consider they may have snatched the wrong person. We've seen plenty of innocent beings tortured or killed because the Liaperians refuse to admit they've made a mistake," Justin explained.

Everyone picked up on the one word and it was scaring them beyond a doubt. Doctor Slate gulped as she was the first to force herself to speak.

"'_Killed'_? Y-you mean Lieutenant Hunter may be end up - _dead _-because they're looking for Czarina?" the doctor stuttered.

"He will be thoroughly examined and then tortured for any information he may have. Like I said earlier, they will most likely not believe anything he tells them otherwise for they are positive they have the right person. Let's just pray that we can get to him before the worst happens," Jennifer explained.

Czarina stared out the window, wondering how on Earth they were going to find the lieutenant. Her heart was already in her throat at the thought of what he was going through.

00000

Dwayne groaned as the haze that had filled his mind was slowly starting to dissipate. The last thing he remembered was being at the café with the others before two aliens showed up and strangled him.

"Ah yes, it's good to see you awake. Now you can answer our questions," a voice filled his ears.

Dwayne turned in the direction the voice came from and his vision cleared enough to see two figures standing nearby. It was then that he realized that he couldn't move. His arms were shackled to the wall and his legs were tied to the floor and they were already starting to chafe his skin for he could see the redness starting to form.

"Who are you? What exactly do you want with me?" he demanded.

"My, my, aren't we the eager one?" another voice came.

One of the figures lunged forward and placed a hand on his chest. Dwayne screamed as an intense power tore right through him. The alien drew back and the human gasped for air as he went slack in his restraints.

"We ask the questions around here! Do not dare defy us, monster!" the first voice ordered.

Dwayne managed to look up at the two and finally got a good look at them. He gritted his teeth, wondering why they called him a 'monster'. There was only one possibility that crossed his mind and he dreaded that they would soon confirm it.

"I am Tane, he is Shzar and we are now your masters. Tell us, where is Hapar?" the first ordered.

"I don't know who the hell you're talking about," Dwayne lied.

Another jolt went through his body and he tried not to show the pain but failed miserably. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead as he tried to catch his breath but Shzar leaned over and grabbed Dwayne by the throat again.

"We know you've been in contact with Hapar recently and therefore the robot that defends this part of the planet. We need to know where they are and what kinds of weaknesses that he might have. Where are the military bases? Are there any other defenders? Anything you can tell us will be useful," he whispered to the lieutenant.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about. Whoever you're looking for, it's not me. You've got the wrong person," choked the lieutenant.

"We don't have the 'wrong person', as you say. We've searched out the one on several planets that Hapar had chosen for conquest. Some have tried to say they don't know anything but we knew we still had the right one. You are the chosen one for this planet so don't try and deny it," Shzar quietly told him.

Dwayne gulped, realizing no matter what he said or did would change their minds about him. They had been after Czarina and the plucked him up instead. Fear crossed his mind as to what they were going to do next. Shzar released him and Dwayne felt like throwing up after learning all this information and what they planned to do to him.

"Shzar, let's get him up on the rack. No sense expending our energy when we don't have to. We need him to talk and it will be more persuasive there. Besides, we'll need to perform the examination," Tane called over to him.

Shzar smiled as he realized what they were going to do. He reached into his robes and pulled out something that resembled a dagger. Dwayne wasn't certain what they were planning but he knew it wasn't going to be good.

"We could have done this while you were unconscious but we have found it's no fun since we don't get to hear your screams," Shzar laughed.

He roughly grasped Dwayne's jacket and placed the dagger on it. The alien began to tear the human's clothes off his body and the pieces slowly began to fall to the floor. Dwayne winced as the dagger poked and sliced his skin several times during the procedure and figured there would be blood. Soon enough, everything Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter had been wearing was now laying in a heap on the floor and he was bared for all to see. He glanced down at himself and the shreds of clothing at his feet before he returned his attention back to the two aliens. Tane had walked over to them by then and joined Shzar in circling the human before them. Dwayne felt a bit embarrassed that he felt so exposed as he had noticed the two were scrutinizing every possible inch of his body.

"What now?" Dwayne calmly asked them.

Tane forcefully grabbed Dwayne by the wrists while Shzar unshackled the chains from the human's limbs. As soon as they were off, Dwayne tried to struggle but found his captors to be exceptionally strong. As soon as Shzar grabbed the lieutenant's ankles, they began to cart him to a nearby table. They placed him on it spread-eagle and metal restraints immediately clamped down on his wrists and ankles. The two grinned as they hovered over him.

"Now here's the fun part, human, at least for us. You see, you try and resist your bonds, it'll only make things worse for you. All you have to do is answer our questions and nothing will happen to you," Tane explained to him.

"What 'harm' is going to come to me? All you've done so far is strip and restrain me," Dwayne wondered.

His answer came as a long, thin wire attached to a nearby console and it was sitting within Shzar's hand. The pilot became worried as he wondered what they would possibly do with it for it appeared to have a mind of its own. The alien suddenly reached down and forcibly grasped his genitalia before starting to push it inside the sensitive organ. At first, it felt like a prick but as it continued to make its way further into his body, Dwayne Hunter heard himself begin to scream.

TBC…


	4. Search and Destroy

"So where do we start?" asked Jo.

"All of you know the city better than we do. Travel around and see if you notice any buildings that might have not been there before. Even right outside the city might be something. I don't want to overlook anything. I've seen far too many die because we couldn't find them in time," Jennifer said.

The group nodded and by then, Rusty had even joined them and Garth was sitting at the Big Guy's controls. Doctor Slate watched her creation every single moment as the cats took charge of the search and rescue.

"Listen everyone, we don't have much time. The main objective is to find Lieutenant Hunter and get him out of the Liaperian's ship, where he is going to need _immediate_ medical attention. Is that understood?" Jennifer asked them.

Everyone nodded as they began to pair off and they were all given devices to help them detect the presence of the ship. The doctor soon headed off in one direction with Rusty while Big Guy headed for the outskirts. Jo and Justin had gone off in another direction while Czarina and Jennifer split off from the group.

The boy robot watched the doctor with a nervous look and she quickly noticed this reaction. She could tell that he was both worried and confused about the situation.

"Rusty, what's wrong?" she gently asked.

"Doctor Slate, why did the aliens take Lieutenant Dwayne?" he questioned her.

A sad smile crossed the doctor's features, knowing that this particular question would come up sooner or later. All she knew was that she had to come up with a plausible explanation for the boy robot.

"Rusty, these aliens are a bit like Hapar. They want to take over the planet and they abducted the lieutenant because they want to show their threat is genuine. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," she explained to him.

"Oh, okay!" he said.

Slate inwardly sighed in relief that he bought the explanation and they continued on to find the ship.

00000

Meanwhile, Czarina and Jennifer hurried through the streets, ignoring the few stares that the alien cat produced.

"Jennifer, this is all my fault. I should have known they were coming. I helped the two of you so many times in rescuing others from their grasp," Czarina sighed.

"It's no more your fault than mine or Justin's. We weren't aware they were this close to Earth for them to be of any threat. Apparently, that's not the case. At least you know what to expect when we finally find them," Jennifer replied.

Czarina weakly nodded, remembering the condition of the others when they were finally found.

00000

Justin led Jo down the streets as he kept an eye on the device in his hand. Her mind began to fill with questions about anything and everything they may have encountered.

"Who else can we expect?" she asked him.

"Expect from what?" Justin wanted to confirm.

"I mean, people from your own world and the neighbouring one both wanted to take over Earth. Is there anyone else we can expect in the future to come after us?" Jo told him.

Justin couldn't help but sigh.

"Your planet is always in danger, Jo, whether it be an internal or external force. If you're asking if there's anyone else from my region of space that could cause you harm, no, there's not. But if these brutes kill your pilot, then they'll have won this fight and this planet," Justin sternly explained.

He turned his attention back to the search, leaving a speechless Jo behind. She hoped that the lieutenant wasn't already dead and the search wouldn't be in vai

00000

Every muscle in Dwayne Hunter's body tensed up as the electrical current surged through his body. He could feel the wire the entire length up his penis and into his bladder, which then started to travel further upwards into his body. Every single time it moved, he could feel the pain coursing through his lower abdomen and groin. He wanted to urinate but something was keeping him from doing so. Shzar stopped the machine and crossed his arms, watching as Dwayne hung limply in the restraints for the table was now in a vertical position.

"He is very resilient. He is no closer to telling us anything than before. Most would be on the verge of telling us everything by now," he mused.

"Yes, we will soon have to take more drastic measures. Shall we see if we can get anything out of him first?" Tane asked him.

Shzar grinned as he stepped back up to the lieutenant, who could barely keep his head up. The alien placed his hand on the wire again right next to his penis, preparing to move it either from side to side or further inside his body if necessary.

"Tell me, who are your mentors? What nationality are they? Where are they now?" demanded Shzar.

"I've … already… told you. I have no… mentors. I don't know anything. I'm just a guy you abducted off the street," Dwayne breathed.

Shzar thrust the wire in even more and moved it from side to side, causing the lieutenant to gasp out in pain. He gritted his teeth at the immense discomfort as he tried to move his legs against the invasion to no avail. Lieutenant Hunter glanced down at his genitals and almost couldn't look at them for they were red and swollen from all the trauma they had already endured. What would surprise him is if he would be able to have children if he ever got out of this situation.

"If you shall not talk, then we have more ways to cooperate," Shzar told him.

Dwayne did not like the sound of that and he watched as his interrogator went back to the console. He fully expected the alien to turn it up to full power but instead grasped another wire. It caused a quick inhale to escape Dwayne's lips for he wondered where that one was going to be placed. Shzar walked around Dwayne, to the back of the table where the lieutenant felt his buttocks freed from the constraints of the table.

'_Oh no,' _he grimly thought.

What he didn't realize at first was that the table he was on had panels to give access to the various parts of the back. Now that he knew they were there, he could barely feel the outlines on his back. His breathing quickened as he felt a hand cross his behind.

"Will the muscles be too tense for you to insert this one, Shzar?" asked Tane.

"Nothing can be too tense for me. You should know me by now Tane. I can get these wires into any orifice of the humanoid body, no matter how small or big or how taut they may be," the sadistic alien guffawed.

Dwayne squeezed his eyes shut, expecting to feel just the wire but soon felt two fingers inside him instead and he found himself unable to breathe. His muscles started to tense up around them but found the two intruders were stretching his anal opening. After a couple of minutes of being massaged, the wire was firmly planted inside him and Shzar shoved it deeper inside the lieutenant. Dwayne felt even more violated with the manoeuvre as he felt the wire scrape along his insides and slowly make its way further into his body. Once Shzar was satisfied that the wire was deeply embedded with the human, he closed the panel and walked around to face him again.

"Hurts, doesn't it human? Now tell me, where are your mentors? Tell me everything about them. We need to know so we can eliminate them. If you cooperate, then we will let you go and no further injury will come to you," Shzar told him.

Dwayne did his best to put on a strong face as he lifted his head enough to look at his captor.

"And I keep telling you that I know nothing," he snarled.

Shzar shrugged his shoulders as he walked back over to the console and turned the power back on. The pain ripped through the lower part of Dwayne's torso from both directions. It quickly began to emanate into his legs and chest. He soon found it difficult to breathe as his guts felt like they were on fire. The sensation of needing to urinate returned with a vengeance and was now accompanied with the sudden urge to defecate. After a few long minutes, Shzar turned the power off. Dwayne attempted to catch his breath as the interrogator stepped up to him again.

"Listen to me closely. We need to know the locations of your mentors and any other useful information acquired from your travels. It appears your prophecy has come true so we need to know where everyone is located. Tell us now," he ordered.

When Dwayne didn't respond, Shzar took the dagger and scrapped it along the man's stomach, leaving behind a nasty-looking laceration. Blood seeped from it as Tane walked up to his comrade, a grin crossing his face before a soft beeping caught his ears. He walked over to a nearby console and narrowed his eyes as he read the information spilling onto the screen.

"Shzar, we may have found his mentors after all. Two members of the felines have been spotted by the sensors. Don't forget that he has to be properly examined. You know we need to get all the required information. No sense trying to be gentle about it and I can leave it in your capable hands," Tane called over to him.

"Then what shall we do with him if we've found them?" Shzar wondered.

"Continue with the interrogation to try and find any other information that we could use against them. I'll take care of the cats and anybody who happens with them," Tane told him.

Shzar gave a smile as he turned back to the lieutenant and Tane hurried out of the room. He stepped up to the controls next to the table and moved it back down to a horizontal position.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we have your friends after all and I'm going to make you talk after all then," Shzar smirked as he lifted yet another wire.

TBC…


	5. The Breaking Point

Justin was becoming aggravated as he quickly glanced around the buildings along the street. Jo stood breathless beside him, trying to figure out the same thing as him.

"Damn it! There's nothing around here that seems out of place? Shouldn't you know where every building is located?" Justin demanded.

"Listen Justin, this is a big city. Buildings go up and come down all the time. Besides, most of my time is spent on the _Dark Horse _as one of Big Guy's mechanics so I don't normally keep track of what's going on," Jo protested.

Justin gave an angry sigh, knowing what she said was true. He took one last look before he started down another side street. His ears perked up when a soft beeping filled the air. Jo hurried up to his side as he pulled out a small, Oleafarian version of a walkie-talkie.

"What is it Jennifer?" he asked.

"_There appears to be nothing up this way. It's going to take forever to find them and Lieutenant Hunter. As much as I hate to even think it…"_ Jennifer's voice called out.

"I know, I know. I hate to think about it too. We're having no more luck in our direction than what you are," Justin agreed.

"_How about we meet up…?" _she started.

An explosion cut off Jennifer before she could finish. Justin and Jo could hear the screaming coming from the background.

"_Get over here! It's Tane!" _Jennifer yelled at them.

The communication device went dead and Justin had a look of total disbelief on his face. Jo grew worried as she gently shook his arm.

"Justin, what's wrong?" she cautiously asked.

"There is no hope for him now," Justin quietly told her.

The blonde was even more confused than before as she followed Justin to find Jennifer and Czarina.

00000

Jennifer fired the weapon directly at the Liaperian, who easily dodged the blast. He pulled out a weapon and returned fired, narrowly missing the feline. Czarina held back until she knew the best time to attack.

"It is so good to meet you, feline. Shzar and I have been having a hard time getting information out of your student but we've been treating him with same respect we have the others," Tane told her.

"Electrocuting a person from the inside-out is a warped version of being treated with respect," snarled Jennifer.

Tane simply smiled as he lifted a hand. He released a blast of energy which began to rapidly travel towards the nearby people and buildings. Glass broke within the streets lights and nearby cars. Windows in the nearby buildings cracked, creating a cascade onto the people below. Czarina watched as the chunks of glass pierced the skin of several bystanders. Some had dropped to the sidewalk, dead before they even reached it. Others were in apparent agony, blood all over their bodies.

"Help us, please!" they called out.

'_We can't save everyone,' _thought Czarina.

"Now that we have you, your companion will come and then we will finish you both. With you out of the way, we can force your student to transform and help us in conquering this planet. If he fails to comply, it will be a sin to lose such obedience," Tane grinned.

"We will save him, even if it kills us," Jennifer replied.

Tane opened his mouth as if to respond but instead, a loud screech filled their ears. Both women had to cover their ears as they fell to their knees. While they were disoriented, Tane strode over to Jennifer and grasped her wrists. She tried to struggle but with their strength, she could not free herself.

"Do what you will with me Tane. My companion will find him. You still don't scare me," she snarled.

"Oh, I will kill you. I'm just going to have some fun first, just like the last time we met," Tane smiled.

"No!" cried Czarina.

He slammed her into a nearby car where he proceeded to place a knee between her legs. Holding both of her wrists in one hand, he carefully shed the robe from his front to reveal himself to her. Jennifer was in apparent disgust as he slowly started to enter her and she started to struggle as he began to thrust into her. As he continued his movements, they failed to notice two newcomers on the scene. Justin growled once he saw what Tane was doing. He pulled out a weapon and fired it upon the enemy. Tane was momentarily surprised as he withdrew from the cat, who fell to the ground in a heap.

"It's good to see you've arrived soon enough to see me mark your girlfriend. Too bad you won't be able to see your student again before you die. You can't get to him. None of you can for he isn't even on this planet anymore," Tane laughed.

Both Czarina and Justin inwardly smiled at the revelation. It was then that Doctor Slate and Rusty decided to appear on the scene. The boy robot took to the air and began to fire up.

"Just you wait and get a taste of me," he called out.

He released a rush of nucleo-protons and Tane barely managed to avoid them. It managed to scratch his arm and the alien found it stung. He growled as he took notice of another robot appearing in the distance and knew it was the one he and Shzar were trying to find. With the additional force from the robots, he knew he wasn't a match from everyone.

'_I wasn't anticipating the combined force of the robots, cats and humans,'_ he thought.

With a wave of his hand, he disappeared into thin air. As Justin hurried up to Jennifer, Czarina gingerly walked up to the spot where he stood, a snarl sitting upon her face.

"They'll pay for what they've done," she quietly said.

00000

Dwayne could barely register what was going on after Shzar forced the third wire down his throat. Saliva was beginning to appear at the corner of his mouth and now he was being jabbed with needles all over his body. The alien had already taken samples of his blood, saliva, hair, along with several other fluids and tissues. Now he had a hand around his aching penis again, roughly moving it around and jabbing a needle into his delicate testicles for semen.

'_I don't know how much more I can take,' _he thought.

When Shzar finally got what he needed, he turned his attention back to the lieutenant's face.

"You are an interesting species but your silence isn't helping you. Where are the ones from your prophecy? Can you tell me anything concerning the military? What about the robot that defends this area of the planet?" Shzar quietly told him.

Despite the wire that was sitting uncomfortably down his throat and the agony his body was feeling, Dwayne found the strength to talk.

"Go to hell," he choked out.

"It's your choice," Shzar calmly replied.

He strode back over to the console where he turned the power up. Dwayne braced for it yet he wasn't expecting it to be as strong as it ended up being. His entire body seized up, his muscles contracting against the invasive wires and his wrists and ankles slamming against their confines. His insides burned even more during the continued torture. Foam began form slightly at the corner of his mouth and his eyes began to roll back into his head for the alien kept it on much longer than before. Shzar stood back and watched as the lieutenant's body involuntary move up and down on the table, the restraints keeping him at bay.

"It has been a very long time since I've had this much fun. Too bad he won't transform into his alternate form. It would have been nice to see," he smiled.

After several long minutes of allowing the electrical current to surge through Dwayne, Shzar finally turned it back off. This allowed the lieutenant's muscles to finally relax. His bowels finally emptied their contents onto the table while bloody urine slowly poured down the insides of his legs. Vomit was surging up his throat and was quickly threatening to choke him but Shzar moved him enough that it spilled out onto his chest. The alien checked for a pulse but barely found one.

"Too bad you couldn't cooperate, human. Now you will die for it," he quietly told him

Shzar left the room, leaving behind Dwayne to die sitting in a pile of his own bloody waste matter and vomit.

00000

Justin calmly talked to Jennifer, comforting her about the ordeal while Czarina talked to the others. By then, Big Guy had already arrived on the scene and Doctor Slate had already sent a discouraged Rusty back to the headquarters.

"We know where Lieutenant Hunter is being kept. It's been far too long as it is so we have to leave immediately and hope its not too late," she told the group.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Jo wanted to know, crossing her arms.

"Justin and Jennifer are heading up to their spaceship via their own. I've got experience dealing with the Liaperians because I've tried before to get others like myself and Lieutenant Hunter out of their grasp. Sometimes, it's been a success. Other times, we haven't been so lucky. Lieutenant Hunter is already suffering because of me. I don't want to risk anymore of you," Czarina quietly explained.

Before anyone could protest, a small space craft floated down to them. The two cats scrambled in from a hatch in the back and Czarina quickly followed them. She took one last glance at the group her stare going to each of them before it landed on the blonde mechanic.

"I'll bring him back Jo, I promise you that," she called out to her friend.

TBC…


	6. A Rescue?

With Justin at the controls and Jennifer sitting next to him, they moved their ship closer to the Liaperian's location in orbit around Earth. They were fortunate that Tane had given them a clue as to their whereabouts. Czarina stood behind them, anxious to find the lieutenant. As they drew closer, Justin turned to Jennifer with a solemn look.

"Stay here, Jennifer. I don't want to see a repeat of what happened earlier with Tane," Justin sternly told her.

"Justin, you know I'm capable of taking care of myself," she protested.

"I know that but this isn't an ordinary situation. Lieutenant Hunter's life is at stake and in the end, so is Czarina's. If he dies, the secondary prophecy will never come true. Besides, we need someone to stay with the ship," Justin reminded her. "Plus I don't want to see you lose your temper over what happened. We both know what's already occured."

Jennifer opened her mouth to protest but instead clenched her teeth and nodded in reply. Justin quickly left the controls and Czarina followed him to the back of the ship. Jennifer pushed a few buttons, overriding the controls to the Liaperian's cargo door.

"Take care and bring him back alive," Jennifer called out to them.

The two glanced back as they hurried out into the depths of enemy territory.

00000

Shzar stood on the bridge, carefully watching the planet outside the window. He thought about Tane and how he was doing with the cats down below. When his comrade appeared behind him, Shzar quickly noticed the worried look on his face.

"What happened down there?" he demanded.

"There were more than what I had planned to face. We're tough Shzar, but not invulnerable. I had to retreat. What happened with the prisoner?" Tane explained.

"He's dead," Shzar flatly replied.

Tane deeply exhaled, wondering how things were going to go now. They had to catch not only the cats by surprise but the two robots from the encounter. Their reverie was soon broken by a soft beeping of their console and they hurried to see what it was.

"We have intruders. The feline's ship has docked in our cargo room and there's two figures in the corridor," Tane mused.

"Where are they headed?" Shzar wondered.

"Look like the interrogation room. They must be trying to rescue thet prisoner but their search will be in vain since he's already dead," Tane replied.

Shzar smiled for he knew he would have another chance to inflict some pain. Tane returned the smile as they hurried out the door.

00000

Justin and Czarina knew exactly where they were headed once as they ran down the corridors. They had been through this particular ship, and others like it, many times before.

'_I pray that he is not already dead,' _Czarina thought.

They ran up to the door and the feline found the control panel and fiddled with them for a long couple of minutes before the door finally opened. They carefully walked inside, not knowing what to expect. A lingering odour of feces and urine filled their noses as Justin's stare soon came to the table. His heart dropped as they ran over to the lieutenant and looked at him. Blood and urine were dripping onto the floor as vomit had begun to pile up beside his head and feces threatened to overflow underneath him. Puncture wounds adorned his body, indicating that samples had indeed been taken and they were accompanied by several cuts from a blade. His wrists and ankles showed signs of severe chafing from his metal clasps.

"Oh no," he quietly said.

The look on Czarina's face was pure agony once she saw what they had done to the pilot of the Big Guy. It was obvious that his genitalia had taken the brunt of the external torment and they knew that there was no doubt that his internal organs were fried. Justin wanted to throw up for it was the worst that even he had ever seen. He gingerly stood next to him, feeling his neck for a pulse and his heart jumped.

"Czarina, he still has a pulse! Let's get him off of here!" he called to her.

She hurried over to the console, where she found the button to release the restraints before heading over to the table. Justin took notice of the wires entering both the penis and mouth before gently turning him onto his side. Feces spilled out of the body, leaving behind the wire entering his anus.

"We'll have to cut them and get them out later. We don't have time now," Justin ordered.

"You won't be taking him anywhere! He's ours now and you've lost this world!" a familiar voice called out to them.

The two turned to find Tane and Shzar standing at the door. Czarina climbed onto the table above the unconscious pilot and began to growl. Justin stood between them and the Liaperians.

"You came after all, despite knowing that he could be dead. You trained him well for he didn't give us any information on your whereabouts," Tane mused.

"He is a good man but not for the reasons you believe. You see, he didn't even know Jennifer and I were here," snarled Justin.

The two aliens narrowed their eyes at each other before noticing that another creature had replaced the woman on the table. They grew scared for they recognized her now from previous escape attempts of others they had captured and knew she was a formidable opponent.

"You! You're the one who helped all the others escape!" roared Tane.

"You had the chance to capture me and countless others yet you failed to do so. You are truly pathetic creatures," she growled.

Tera leapt down and climbed to her two feet, stretching her wingspan to its full length. She advanced on the two, the rumbling emitting from the depths of her stomach. They backed away, unsure exactly what to expect before she jumped them. She sunk her teeth into Tane's arm as her tail whipped around Shzar's neck. The one screeched in pain while the other gasped for air. Justin held back, knowing Tera was intensely irate but kept a gun in hand in the event she need another set of eyes.

After a few more seconds, she released Tane and brought her tail around, with Shzar's head still nestled within its grasp and cracked their heads together. They fell to the ground in a heap as Tera stood up, spitting the blood out of her mouth before wiping away the rest of it. She stormed over to the console and grabbed one of the wires.

"They think this is fun to torture people with these? Let's see how they feel about it!" she growled.

"Tera, don't do this! You're only wanting to kill them this time because it became personal!" the feline ordered her.

"How many more have to suffer because of us, Justin? Several people like Lieutenant Hunter have already died because these sadistic brutes thought they were us," Tera demanded.

"If that's the way you truly feel later, then I can promise you can get your vengeance. Right now, let's get just Lieutenant Hunter out of here," Justin sternly replied.

Tera remembered about the lieutenant and sighed. She threw down the wire and hurried back to him. They quickly cut the wires and gently lifted him off the table. Within that short of time, his already faint breathing became ragged. This greatly worried the two as Justin checked his pulse again, which weakened.

"We're not going to make it back to the ship in time," Justin groaned.

A shot flew over their heads and they two looked to see Tane had managed to climb to his feet and he was not happy.

"You are not going anywhere! I'll kill the both of you and that precious Jennifer of yours too," he yelled.

Justin climbed to his feet and aimed his gun at the alien. He fired as Tera cradled the lieutenant's head in her lap, racking her brain for ideas but she could think of only one.

"I am so sorry for this. Please forgive me," she quietly said.

She placed a hand on the necklace around her neck and yanked it off, placing it on the lieutenant's chest, over his heart. Lifting an arm out of the support in her wing, she had pulled out a small bag of a light blue powder. She opened it, smelling it before placing it into her mouth. Tera slowly changed back to a human as she leaned down and locked her lips onto his, holding the necklace in place against his body. A gasp filled the cat's ears and he closed his eyes once he realized what was happening. He fired directly at Tane again and hit him in the other leg. He ignored the ramblings as he twirled around to find them locked in an embrace and hurried over to them with a worried look on his face.

"Czarina, do you realize what have you done?" he insisted to know.

As she released Dwayne from the caress, it took her a moment to answer him as she turned to face him.

"Yes, I do. I just saved his life," she said. "Now let's get him back to the ship to get him cleaned up."

Justin rolled his eyes as he hurried over to them. At the nearby console, the cat configured the controls to take the ship away from Earth. Czarina quickly transformed back into a pterodactyl and gently placed the injured Dwayne onto her back where they rapidly hurried back to the shuttle.

"We'll be back for you! We know your face now!" Tane yelled after them.

The two ignored him as they continued to run.

TBC…


	7. On the Road to Recovery

Justin led Tera back to the ship and they walked into the back where they greeted Jennifer with the horrific sight.

"What the hell did they do to him?" she wanted to know.

"He somehow resisted them longer than the others. I just want to get out of here. Tera, back there with him then you take the controls! We're heading for the base!" Justin explained.

Jennifer started up the engines as Tera hurried over to the bed, where they transferred him over and laid him on his side. Tera quickly hurried over to the main controls, allowing Jennifer to head back and assist. Justin quickly assessed the external damage before grasping a pair of tiny clamps from the nearby shelf.

"Hold onto him, he's going to squirm," the cat said.

As soon as Jennifer had a grip, Justin gently grasped the damaged penis and carefully took hold of the wire with the tool. The lieutenant began to groan as the bloody wire slowly came out of his body. As soon it was out, the cat placed it on a tray. He proceeded to do the same with the other two. As soon as he finished with the wires, Jennifer began to prepare an IV while Justin prepared other tools.

"Tera, contact the others and quickly explain the situation. Don't go into too much detail, allow us to do that later. We just need to stabilize him before getting anyone's hope up," Justin called over to her.

"All right, Justin," she called back.

As the two began to clean his wounds and wipe off the waste matter and blood, Tera began to rub her head, feeling a bit dizzy. She regained her wits and began to press a few buttons.

00000

Jo felt like it had been years since her best friend had gone off to rescue Lieutenant Hunter. Garth, Mack and Doctor Slate all sat around the Big Guy with her, waiting for any sort of contact.

"Do you think anything happened to them?" Garth finally asked.

"Don't say that! They have to come back! We can't lose them!" Jo protested.

Doctor Slate was feeling same thing as Jo. She thought about everything that she had been through since accidentally discovering the Big Guy's darkest secret of Lieutenant Hunter and she discovered a side of herself she never thought possible. After what happened recently in the fight against Hapar, she found that her feelings towards the pilot weren't quite the same as before.

"Listen, what's that?" questioned Mack.

The group perked up in interest and they heard a soft beeping noise coming from the nearby console. Garth ran up to it and pressed a few buttons to reveal Tera's face on the monitor. Jo ran up to the screen, a relieved look on her face.

"Tera, are you all right? Where's Lieutenant Hunter?" she demanded.

"_I'm fine but I can't say the same about the lieutenant. He's alive but severely injured. Justin and Jennifer have opted to take care of him instead of going to a hospital. They've taken care of these types of injuries before and they know what to expect. Besides, if he lives, people would start asking the wrong questions and I know no one would want that," _Tera explained. _"Justin and Jennifer will be in contact later on to explain further, but we just wanted to give you the heads up."_

The reptile's face disappeared but no one present failed to notice the one word Tera had said.

''_If ' he lives?' _Slate thought.

Her heart dropped into her stomach at the thought that Lieutenant Hunter would truly die. The thought shook her to the core as she didn't know what the future would bring as a direct result of his death.

00000

As Tera landed the ship in a small clearing not far from their cave, she rubbed her eyes. Jennifer had noticed this reaction and stepped up to her.

"Tera, what's wrong?" she asked.

The reptile glanced away, uncertain how to tell her. In all the excitement, both she and Justin had forgotten to tell her and they hesitated one more moment.

"Jennifer, she used her _palack_," Justin finally said.

The colour drained from the female cat's face once she heard that one word. She angrily looked down at the silent figure and turned her face so they were now eye-to-eye.

"You didn't?" she wanted to know.

"I-I did Jennifer. I-If I didn't, h-he would have died. I-I couldn't let that happen," Tera stammered.

Tears began to well up in the cat's eyes at the thought. It took her a moment to regain her focus to the task at hand.

"Come on, let's get him inside," she finally said.

Tera climbed out of the chair and followed Jennifer to where Dwayne was laying. They carefully placed him onto a stretcher, while minding the tubes that were now entering his body and they carefully carried him into the cave. Once inside the entrance, Tera lifted a small section of rock and pressed the button, allowing a door to open within the rock that sat in the middle.

00000

The first thing Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter noticed was a tickling sensation.

He cracked his eyes opened a bit to find the world before him fuzzy. He found himself in an immense amount of pain as he tried to speak but couldn't. He heard muffled voices in the background and wondered what was happening. As his mind cleared, he realized that he was laying on his side and began to realize as to where the tickling sensation was located.

Right at the tip of his penis.

He tried to jump up but a calming hand rested on his shoulder. His vision cleared to find Jennifer kneeling in front of him and Justin seated directly next to his groin.

"Calm down Lieutenant, you're alive. Don't try to talk, you've got a tube down your throat. We've been taking care of you for the last several days and Justin's in the process of cleaning the equipment and your wounds so they don't get infected. Do you remember what happened?" Jennifer quietly explained.

It took Dwayne a moment but he slowly nodded his head and he looked around at the room. It almost looked like a hospital room complete with medical equipment and various medications, yet it had an alien feel to it. Dwayne grew anxious as he became more aware of his current situation as in addition to the tubing down his throat, others had been inserted into his private areas.

"We know you don't want them there Lieutenant but right now, they have to be until you're healed enough. Otherwise, they will be more susceptible to infection or may not heal properly. We know what they've put you through is a humiliating experience and you probably don't want even us poking around your most private areas but I'm afraid we've got to in order to keep them clean," Jennifer comforted him.

Even though he couldn't say anything yet, he still preferred them over his two interrogators. Dwayne glanced down at his arm to find an IV sticking out of his elbow. He followed it to find a bag hanging on a nearby hook, with fluids slowly dripping from it. As he watched Justin continue the work on his injured genitals, he still felt self-conscious with someone still seeing him in such a vulnerable condition. She could sense that he was a bit uncomfortable with the situation and gave a smile.

"You remind me of Czarina soon after we found her. She was unbelievably mortified when we first witnessed her nude," Jennifer said.

Justin tenderly wrapped up the genitals with bandages and then placed a blanket over the lower half of his body. Jennifer gave him a warm smile and walked away, leaving the two men alone.

"If you'll excuse me Lieutenant, I have to contact your co-workers. They have been eager to hear updates on your condition," Justin told him.

The cat stepped around the bed and faced a console that was aimed away from the stricken human. Justin waited a moment before someone answered on the other side. Dwayne closed his eyes yet still eavesdropped on the conversation. He was hoping that the cat could tell him something about what happened after he lost consciousness.

"_Justin, it's so good to hear from you again. How is he?" _Dwayne heard Jo's voice.

"I'm glad to be calling with good news this time. Lieutenant Hunter has finally awoken and thus out of danger but he still has a long way to go. The injuries he suffered are still serious and if not continually monitored, could result in permanent damage," Justin told them.

"_That's good to hear. When can we see him?" _Jo inquired.

"Not until he's completely healed. His injuries were pretty severe and I know he wouldn't want any of you to see him in such a weak state," Justin replied.

"_Fair enough but what about Czarina? You haven't told any of us anything about her and we haven't heard from her in days. Is she all right? Tell me right now!" _demanded the mechanic.

Justin hesitated for a moment, knowing the information he had about the blonde's friend could change a lot of things. He glanced over to the lieutenant, giving him an expressive look before returning to the screen.

"Jo, I wanted to do this in person but…" Justin said. "…even though she didn't show it, Czarina suffered serious injury in the attack on the Liaperians. She didn't make it."

TBC…


	8. Adverse Reactions

The days passed into weeks and they rarely varied. He slept most of the time for his body was still exhausted from the experience. Though he was awake whenever they had to tend to his injuries. A lot of things were going through his mind when he wasn't sleeping: the most prominent one concerned Czarina.

'_What happened to Czarina that she didn't make it? Why did I live since I had such devastating injuries?' _he asked himself.

He must have shown the worry on his features for the cats continually asked if he was fine. He wished he could explain his anxieties to them but couldn't since he was still unable to speak.

"Lieutenant, whatever is on your mind, I hope we can help you sort it out," Jennifer once told him.

She had walked over to a nearby console and he wondered how well she was doing herself. He had heard her crying when she didn't think he was listening and figured that it had to deal with Czarina's apparent death.

He patiently waited for a few weeks until one day, they raised the bed to a sitting position and they examined his throat. They couldn't help but smile as they looked at the tissues.

"Looks like we can finally take the tube out. The lining of the stomach and esophagus appears to have healed quite nicely. Much faster than your lower injuries since these weren't as exposed to the current," Justin sighed.

He reached over to the nearby table a grasped a needle. Checking for air bubbles, he inserted it into the IV line. After a few short moments, Dwayne began to feel tired and slowly closed his eyes.

00000

Dwayne Hunter slowly finished his food as Jennifer sat the nearby console while Justin had long since left to gather supplies. Sitting in his hand was the local newspaper with Big Guy's picture on the front. He gave a sigh, longing to be back in his seat as the robot's pilot but he was firmly warned that that much stress could prolong his healing, which was well on its way. Most of the tubes were now gone and the only two he needed now were the IV that contained the medication and the catheter inserted into his genitals, which were still a bit tender from their beating but vastly improved over what they were before. The cat soon climbed to her feet and walked over to him.

"Well Lieutenant, I'd like to run some examinations. I need to make certain that you are healing the way you should be," she told him.

He nodded before he moved the blanket down his body and tried not to think about the cat's hands near his groin. As he felt the tickling around his private area, his mind was going back to what happened on the alien ship. As he continued to think about it, the more his body began to show it. Jennifer quickly noticed that his body was slightly twitching and she couldn't help but slump her shoulders as she had seen him do it before. She placed a comforting hand on his side, taking notice of his apprehension.

"Lieutenant Hunter, is there something you'd like to talk about?" she finally asked him.

"No, no. I-I'd r-rather not," he hoarsely replied.

"Listen, if it's about what happened with the Liaperians, you can talk to us. We've seen lots of people in your situation," Jennifer assured him.

It took him a moment to think about what she said before he could find another answer.

"Jennifer, let me just say I have an idea of what women feel like when they're raped. I still feel a bit violated from when Shzar had his hands all over me," Dwayne quietly admitted.

Jennifer sat down in a chair next to the lieutenant, intent on listening to what he had to say.

"Unfortunately, it is humiliating. It does take time for people to get past what happened and realize that it won't happen again. I promise you, you're never going to be in a position like that again," Jennifer replied.

"I've got a long way still since I still have to recover physically and mentally. Who's going to help me?" wondered the lieutenant.

"Anybody you decide to confide in, like what you're doing now with me. You can tell the others as you see fit. None of them have to know the true extent of what happened to you unless you allow it," the cat said.

Dwayne gave a deep sigh, the frustration filling his eyes as he turned away from the feline. She became worried at the cold shoulder she was receiving.

"But what do you truly know? All you've seen are others like me and comforted them afterwards," he protested.

Anger welled up inside Jennifer and he could it in her eyes. She jumped towards the bed, arms on each of the railings and her face ended up a couple of inches away from his.

"Don't you dare tell me that I don't know what it feels like to be disgraced by those - those _monsters! _You don't know the torment I've had to endure! I've seen many of my colleagues, apprentices and their friends tortured, raped and or killed by their hands," she growled at him. "Myself included for I've brutally taken not once but _twice _by Tane."

Dwayne gave a sharp inhale, suddenly realizing the consequences of what she had sacrificed for Czarina. He watched Jennifer as she moved some of her fur to reveal a dainty scar on her stomach.

"This is the end result of the first time he took me. I was left with a bastard child within me and I went to the doctors on Oleaftar to have it removed. We value life but we are not expected to bear their filthy offspring," Jennifer explained. "Now Czarina is dead. The only comfort from her death is that she died saving your life."

Jennifer was almost to tears as she stood straight up and briefly turned away from him. She gave a deep sigh before returning her attention back to the task at hand. Dwayne placed a hand over his mouth once he heard that Czarina died for him. The tears welled up in his own eyes since it felt like a bomb hit him.

'_At least that explains a couple of my questions,' _he thought.

Though there was one lingering question on his mind as he watched Jennifer tenderly touch his scrotum. His penis jumped slightly and Dwayne flushed a few different shades of red. As she continued her movements along the underside, he started to take deep breaths as his body began to react to the touch.

"Jennifer, are you trying to get a reaction out of me?" he demanded.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Looks like the nerves healed almost completely back to normal and the blood flow looks quite nice. Except for some minor scarring, it looks completely healthy and we'll most likely be able to take the catheter out within a day or two," Jennifer explained as she glanced up to his face. "It means that you'll be able to perform the same as you did before and you will be able to have children."

A perplexed look crossed the lieutenant's face. Something wasn't adding up in his mind and Jennifer knew it. She knew that she or Justin would have to tell him sooner or later.

"Jennifer, I saw myself before I lost consciousness. I know how bad it looked. I was fully expecting to die that day and even if I did manage to live, I knew there would be no chance in hell that I could father any children. How did that change?" he wanted to know.

The cat gulped, uncertain how to proceed with what she knew.

"Lieutenant Hunter, there is something you should know. Czarina did save your life but not in any way you would normally think," she started. "You were at Death's door when she and Justin found you. In fact, you already walked through and the door was almost closed behind you, it was that bad. You even briefly died while you were in our care for a few minutes. People like Czarina have something we call their _palack. _It is essentially what contains their life force or soul. I know it sounds odd to your ears but the chosen ones are able to use it to benefit someone in a time of great need, but only once. In the end, the person receiving it will be able to live, virtually unscathed physically, while the other life is forfeit. Czarina gave hers to you and it is she who is helping your body heal the way it is."

Dwayne Hunter blanched as he listened to her. He lifted up his arm and stared at it, uncertain about nothing anymore.

"How will I be able to face Jo after knowing what her best friend did for me?" he whispered.

"There's also one other thing I should tell you about what Czarina did for you," Jennifer piped up.

He looked over at her and barely nodded in response. As her reply filled his ears, he was absolutely stunned by the revelations. He openly wept, burying his face into his hands as he fell back onto the pillow. The cat climbed to her feet, pulling the blanket over him before she left and she knew that it would take some time for him to adjust to this news.

TBC…


	9. Return to the Dark Horse

Jo sat in a melancholy mood next to the console. Sitting Next to her was Garth, who had a newspaper in hand. Mack was a few feet away, rummaging around a nearby toolbox. The blonde gave a deep sigh, catching the attention of her friends and co-workers.

"Jo, we're all worried about him," Garth assured her.

"I-I can't stop thinking about how long it's been since he was abducted by those aliens. I still wish we knew exactly what occurred on that ship. Whatever happened there, Czarina's dead and the lieutenant almost didn't make it. I mean, even Rusty's worried and we can't tell him anything," Jo muttered.

"He's young yet. Now that he's on the mend, he'll be back soon enough," Mack called over to them.

Mack gave a small sigh as he turned his stare up to the mechanical man in the chair before him. The experiences the small group had over the years crossed his mind and the times that the lieutenant had already faced certain death but lived to tell about it.

"Even though, I'd still hate to lose him now," he mumbled to himself.

He tilted his hat back and turned around to face the two. Once he did, he was greeted by an unexpected sight at the far end of the hangar: Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter, standing proud and tall at the door. Behind him, Justin had an arm around Jennifer, ready to watch the scene as it played out.

"Lieutenant, you're back!" he gasped.

Jo and Garth perked up and looked to see him and smiles crossed their faces. They hurried up to see him and the lieutenant was immediately bombarded with a million different questions at once and he tried to calm them down.

"One at a time now. I can only answer so fast," he laughed.

The three knew that there was only one major question at the forefront of their minds and it was Jo who decided to ask it first.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine considering what happened. Though I can say I've had excellent care during my recovery. I'm glad to be back even though I'm a little tired," Dwayne told them.

He walked past them and up to the Big Guy. The corners of his mouth turned up into a smile, the relief that his days as an invalid were now over and he could return as the pilot of the Big Guy.

"Don't worry Dwayne, we've been taking real good care of him during your absence but he's all yours again," Garth said.

"Thanks for keeping the seat warm Garth. I've been waiting many long weeks for this," Dwayne sighed.

Jo stepped up to him and Dwayne turned his gaze to the floor, closing his eyes. She gently placed a hand on his arm and he covered it with his own before finally catching her stare.

"I am so sorry Jo, about Czarina. She died saving my life and I can only hope that you can forgive me," Dwayne quietly said.

"There's nothing to forgive Dwayne. It feels like crap knowing that she's dead but I think if there had been a way to save your life and it wasn't acted upon, things would be very different," she replied.

Justin and Jennifer silently moved closer to the quartet. They quickly took notice of the two felines and their ears perked up in interest as to what they to say.

"We will see all of you later. Just to inform you, we will have to be back every few days to check on Lieutenant Hunter. There's still a small chance for infection and we're simply hoping to prevent that from getting too far," Jennifer explained.

The group nodded as they watched the two cats disappear. Dwayne felt a twinge of sadness seeing them leave for he had gotten to know more about them in the weeks since the incident on board the Liaperian ship. He gave another sigh as he stole a quick glance back up at the Big Guy, more than prepared to have him back.

00000

Dwayne stared at the face reflecting in the mirror. Despite attempts to get any information out of him, Dwayne Hunter did not give in to anything whatsoever to his Pit Crew, citing he simply wasn't ready to talk about it. He stripped his clothes off to glance down to stare at the scars and remembered the pain that gave them to him. His hand slowly made its way down his body and he grasped himself while his other hand leaned against the wall over the toilet. Groaning a bit, the lieutenant eventually surrendered to the eventual relief he sought before he climbed over to the shower. The water seemed to wash away the semen and the pain for the moment anyway and he leaned his hands against the wall.

'_What has my life come to? Haven't I already gotten enough secrets as it is?' _he thought.

He soon climbed off and began to dry off before heading into the bedroom. Dwayne noticed the moonlight shining in through the porthole as went to look at it, never noticing someone sitting on his bed.

"Might I say Lieutenant, you look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you," came a familiar voice.

Dwayne twirled around in shock to see Czarina Mills sitting nude on his bed with one knee over the other. He gave a deep sigh as he quickly pulled the towel around his waist.

"Don't be so modest Lieutenant. I was there during your entire recovery. I also saw you when your goods were mutilated. I am so sorry about this since I know you've already got a lot on your plate. If there was another way to save your life without me being here, I would have chosen it," she sighed.

"I still don't know what to think about that. I kind of wish you mentioned something about this _palack _of yours and the fact it contains the same biological agents that were within your body," he retorted.

"My _palack_. My life force as a physical substance. I could not tell you about that since _I_ had to make the choice of when and where to use it," she explained. "As for changing into a pterodactyl, I suppose no one truly asked how the process worked. All of you simply assumed that it could happen since there was alien tampering and as a result, I never thought to mention the agents."

Dwayne began to pace back and forth, the recent events flooding his mind and what the two felines had told him days earlier. He crossed his arms as he stopped in front of the bed.

"Now we basically share the same body and I've got several more burdens to deal with. With me being the only one who can see or hear you, people are going to think I'm crazy if I start talking to myself or become worried when I suddenly start disappearing randomly. Who's to say that you won't try and take control of this body?" he said.

"Lieutenant Hunter, I can assure you that you will always be in complete control of your body for I am but a passenger. Yes, you will constantly know that I'm around and unless you require my assistance, I will not be a burden and I will respect your privacy, even when it's not requested. I am simply here as a direct result of my own decision to save your life," she told him.

The lieutenant finally sat down on the bed next to her. For a few minutes, nothing was said until Dwayne ran a hand through his hair.

"So what happens now? Will it be like this until the day I die?" he finally asked.

"Uncertain. There are so many things that could happen. I can only hope that Justin and Jennifer can find a potential solution. Until they do, we're going to have to make the best of the situation," she replied.

Dwayne shrugged his shoulders as he decided to drop the towel onto the floor before crawling into the bed. He watched the ceiling and soon felt a presence beside him. He soon found that Czarina had curled up beside him and closed her eyes. His stare went to the nearby dresser, where he had placed the communicator and necklace that Justin and Jennifer had given him.

'_Take care of them for they are your lifeline to us. Be glad, Lieutenant and be very honoured. Not many are given this chance to live again,' Justin told him._

'_Even if it means that I won't be quite the same man I used to be? I mean, with the experiences and abilities I've gained…' he replied_.

_Jennifer placed a calming hand on his shoulder as she sat down beside him, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek._

_'Everyone is changing all the time. Just please take care of Czarina for us. There's still a lot for her to do and the same goes for you, Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter, chief mechanic of the Big Guy,' she quietly told him._

As Czarina slowly disappeared, Dwayne's eyelids gave in to their sagging feeling and finally fell asleep.

The End


End file.
